


Butterflies in my chest

by leia_saveourskins



Category: Flight of the Conchords - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Flight of the Conchords fanfiction, I really wracked my brain trying to come up for a title, Jemaine Clement x reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leia_saveourskins/pseuds/leia_saveourskins
Summary: During his trip to the grocery store, Jemaine finds himself in a very familiar situation with a very unusual resolution
Relationships: Jemaine Clement/You
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19





	1. Two dollars short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During his trip to the grocery store, Jemaine finds himself in a very familiar situation with a very unusual resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is jut the meet-cute.  
> If by any chance you read this, tell me what you think in the comments and please be gentle.  
> I hope you enjoy it.

It was Jemaine’s turn to buy the groceries this week, Bret had done it last time. So there he stood, between the baking aisle and the bread aisle. Jemaine inspected a bag of pasta. He wasn’t sure if he had enough money to buy it, but Bret had mentioned he was keen on cooking spaghetti. He debated on taking it and counted the items on his basket. 

His basket was almost knocked from his hand when someone else’s crashed into his. Jemaine looked up and met the gaze of the girl that had just run into him.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” the girl tried to apologize, clearly embarrassed. Jemaine noticed her face was turning red. 

Jemaine shook his head. “It’s alright, don’t worry.” He said, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

“I-I was reading my list and I didn't see you.” She said, motioning to the small notepad she was holding.

He smiled apologetically. “Really, don’t worry about it.” He said politely and half laughed. Jemaine tried to avoid eye contact but something inside him made him take a second look. The girl standing in front of him wore a pair of jeans and a shirt; a casual attire. And her hair was draped over her shoulder. Her face still red. Red and pretty.

“Uhm… I should get back… to my list.” She said. The girl had also been staring at him, trying to figure him out. Jemaine snapped out of his trance. 

“Yes, of course.” He replied. Did she notice he was staring? The girl shot him a shy smile and went on her merry way. Jemaine followed her with his gaze until she turned on an aisle and was out of sight. _Should I have said something else?_ He thought.

“Don’t think about it.” Jemaine muttered to himself and threw the bag of pasta in his basket. As he wandered through the grocery store, Jemaine kept repeating what had just happened inside his head. She was definitely pretty. _Should I have told her that? No, of course not you creep._ Still, he couldn’t shake the thought of her blushed face, he would have to live with that memory for the rest of his life because there’s no way he would see her again, she probably had already left the store.

Jemaine stepped forward, it was his turn for the cashier to ring him up. Jemaine placed all of his items on the counter and went for his wallet in his back pocket. He summed all the prices in his head as the cash register beeped. _$22.55, $29.05, $34.00, $39.00…_

“Your total is forty four dollars, sir.” The guy behind the counter spoke. Jemaine nodded and pulled the money out of his wallet and gave it to him. He licked his lips, he was sure it was enough money, he had brought the usual him and Bret spent on groceries. 

“You are two dollars short, sir” The cashier said. Jemaine’s eyes went wide and his hand immediately dove into his pockets, maybe he had some spare coins. He didn’t want to keep the people in line waiting. _Please, please please,_ he thought , _God please._ His pockets were empty, except for a piece of string and one of Bret’s old guitar picks.

“Uhm… let me see what I can live without” Jemaine sighed and brought his hand to his chin. _The pasta maybe?_ He thought, _Not the cereal, and definitely not the canned soup_. When he was about to choose what to leave behind, someone tapped his arm and he turned to see the person behind him.

“Here, two dollars,” It was the girl from earlier, she was offering him the money. Jemaine shook his head, it couldn’t be happening. “Take them.” she said firmly. He wanted to deny her the money, but she was doing out of the pureness of her heart.

“Uhmm… Thanks,” He said. His hands were sweaty as he took the money. Jemaine met her gaze once again. “Thanks a lot.” He said. The girl only replied with a kind smile and his heart fluttered. Jemaine turned to pay what he was missing. 

* * *

People walked down the sidewalk and buses drove on the busy streets of New York, everyone was always in a hurry. Jemaine sat on the bench that was outside of the grocery store, his leg bouncing up and down. He was waiting for the girl to walk out, he felt he needed to say thanks again and maybe apologize for taking her money. _Why should I apologize? She gave me the two dollars because she wanted._ He discussed with himself. _I’ll say I will pay her back. No you, turkey, you barely have money!_ He heard footsteps and turned his head. It was the girl walking out and going the opposite direction of him. Jemaine stood up and took his papers bags before walking up to her.

“Hey, wait!” He shouted, immediately regretting his decision. _She’ll probably think that I’m a creep._ The girl stopped in her tracks and turned around. Jemaine had to halt or he would have crashed into her.

“Hey, sorry to bother you. I-I just wanted to say thanks again” Jemaine said. The girl in front of him smiled. _That smile again,_ he thought.

“Ah, it was nothing,” The girl replied. “Don’t worry about it.” Jemaine smiled and she did too.

“Uhmm… I’m Jemaine.” He said and placed a paper bag on the floor so he could offer his hand. 

“I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you Jemaine” She said and shook his hand. His heart jumped when she spoke his name. _That’s a pretty name,_ He thought.

“Hey uhmm… I’m in a band, you know?” He said, yes he really was about to invite her to his upcoming gig, he had nothing to lose. 

“Really? What are you called?” Y/N said, clearing her hair from her face. 

“It’s my flatmate and I, we’re called Flight of the Conchords,” He said. “We have a gig next Thursday. You can come if you want to…” Y/N pondered on the idea for a few seconds.

“Yeah maybe I’ll come”. She said. Jemaine shared the rest of the details, and she wrote them down on her notepad. 

“I have to go now but, I guess I’ll see you until then, Jemaine.” Y/N spoke as she stored her little notepad in her bag. 

“I guess so...” Jemaine said. 

“See ya” She said and shot him one last smile. Jemaine half smiled and said his goodbyes before the girl turned and walked away. _Until Thursday then,_ he thought. Jemaine mentally high-fived himself and turned to walk back to his apartment. Only a few seconds passed when he remembered he had left his second paper bag on the sidewalk and ran back to get it.

* * *

“I’m telling you, she’s real.” Jemaine said. He had just told Bret about the cute girl he encountered earlier this morning. For some reason Bret didn’t believe him. 

“You’re bluffing mate. Just because you were able to get the pasta doesn’t prove that you met this beautiful girl.” Bret said, shaking his head and turned his attention to the TV.

“She’ll be at thursday’s gig, and when you see her you’ll know I’m not bluffing” Jemaine said. 

“Yeah and what if she doesn’t show up?” Bret said. Was it really hard to believe that a girl had given him two dollars and was going to their gig? Now that he thought about it did seem like something that could only happen in a dream.

“Whatever Bret, shut up.” Jemaine said. He turned his attention to the TV as well. “She’ll come.” He muttered. Could he really be so sure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your time <3


	2. Thursday's gig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thursday has finally arrived and it's time for the reader and her friends to meet the Conchords.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is so long, I couldn't control myself.  
> Half of this hasn't been proofread, I apologize.  
> Anyway, if you read this, let me know what you think.  
> I'M SO SORRY! IT'S TOO MUCH!

Studying her reflection on her mirror, Y/N applied mascara on her lashes one last time. She put on her favorite lipstick and with that she was ready for tonight’s gig. Thursday had finally arrived and Y/N couldn’t wait to get out of her apartment. When she stepped on the living room, her friends were ready and waiting for her. She had managed to convince her brother, Charlie, and flatmate, Mary, accompany her. 

“Ready for tonight?” Y/N said, making her friends turn to her. Charlie had been flipping the pages of a magazine and Mary had come out of the bathroom. 

“You are looking fine!” Mary exclaimed. “Give us a twirl!” Y/N smiled, glad her friend was hyping her up. And for good reason too, her outfit was more than just a pair of jeans and t-shirt.

She was wearing a long, beige top with a jean jacket on top, black stockings and black boots. Y/N twirled.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough, let’s get going or we will be late.” Y/N said and the group walked out of her flat.

Once inside the yellow cab they had waited for, Charlie spoke. “Hey Y/N, how did you meet this mystery musician again?” He wasn’t too keen on going to a gig from a band that nobody had ever heard before. 

“I already told you that story and I’m not repeating myself again.” Y/N said rolling her eyes. Charlie had expressed to his sister that making friends with strangers in the city of New York could be dangerous. 

“You have nothing to worry about, and besides, I'm not going alone, you guys will be there.” Now it was Charlie that rolled his eyes. 

Y/N and Mary read a sign that was placed outside the café while Charlie paid for the taxi. “Flight of the Conchords, tonight 7 pm,” Mary read it out loud. “Seems pretty legit to me.”

“Of course it’s legit” Y/N said. Once her brother rejoined them, the group entered the place. The walls were covered in brick and lights hung low from the ceiling. Plants and paintings adorned the place, and music played at low volume from the speakers attached to the walls. Y/N noticed the place wasn’t busy at all. Only one girl had occupied a table near the small stage. The rest of the few people sat on the other side of the café or at the bar.

“We are not early, are we?” Mary said closely to Y/N. She shook her head.

“It’s only fifteen minutes before 7...” Y/N answered. She took a look around the place. It sure was nice and cozy but it was almost empty. _Maybe Charlie was right, maybe nobody has heard of them,_ Y/N thought. 

“You guys take a seat, I'll go for the menu” Charlie spoke and left their side. The girls looked at each other.

“Let’s not sit at the very front.” Y/N suggested. Mary replied with a yeah. The couple decided to sit a few tables behind the girl they had seen before, but it was close enough to see the stage clearly. Charlie had returned with the menus in hand and everyone ordered what they wished. It was only five minutes until seven now, the music from the speakers had been turned off and two more people had taken a seat in front of the stage. Suddenly, the lights were turned down, but Y/N could still see her friends sitting across her, and the ones above the stage were full on grabbing everyone’s attention. Out of the corner of her eye, Y/N saw a man come from backstage with a binder in hand, take a seat with another member of the crowd.

“This is it!” Mary whispered with excitement. Y/N wasn’t feeling so eager now. _What if they are bad and that’s why very few people came to see them,_ Y/N thought. _What if they are very very very bad. And Charlie will never let me forget this._ The sudden clapping and shouts made her snap out of her spiral and turned to see two men enter the stage and take a seat on a stool each. When her eyes fell on the man she had met before, Jemaine, a smile formed on her lips and every single doubt of them being bad faded from her mind.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor playing for you tonight. We are Flight of the Conchords” The one with the curly hair spoke into the microphone. The girl on the very front screamed at the mention of their name.

“I bet that’s one of their fans.” Charlie said almost whispering. 

“You don’t say...” Mary said nonchalantly. She turned to Y/N. “Hey Y/N, why didn’t you tell us they were British?”

“I don’t think they are British, Mary. Their accent is from somewhere else, I think.” Y/N said and took a sip from her cup. The one with the curly hair played a riff with his guitar to introduce their first song. They sang as if they were robots.The song was about how they had destroyed all the humans using poisonous gasses, murdering their… asses? Y/N had never heard anything resembling these guys before. She turned to see her friends, Charlie was enjoying it, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the music and Mary had an eyebrow raised, confused by the lyrics. She motioned for Y/N to come closer.

“Which one is the guy you met?” Mary whispered. 

“The one with glasses” Y/N whispered back. Mary frowned. “What?” 

“I thought you had met the cute one, the guy playing the guitar.” Mary said. Now Y/N frowned.

“Jemaine IS cute.” Y/N said. Mary’s eyes widened and so did hers. _Oops…_ Y/N had just admitted that she found the guy on stage cute. Mary was starting to giggle.

“You like him” She teased.

“No I don't.” Y/N said.

“You like who?” Charlie intervened.

“Nobody!” Y/N half whispered half shouted snapping at her brother. “Just… shut up and enjoy the music.” Their first song was coming to an end, their number one fan clapped eagerly. Y/N was enjoying this evening, it was nice to get out of the house, not just for groceries and work, but for live music and a warm beverage. Her gaze was resting upon Jemaine; Y/N wondered if she would get the chance to speak to him again, maybe even ask for her two dollars back just to tease him. Just as their second song was beginning, her gaze was met with his, her stomach felt funny and her chest tightened. A shy smile pulled at her lips. Y/N mouthed a Hi. Jemaine, on the other side of the room froze for half a second and all he could do was smile back. Realizing he had a song to sing, he redirected his attention to the back of the cafe, and sang his lyrics.

* * *

“Thank you very much, we are Flight of the Conchords. It has been a pleasure!” The guitarist spoke through the mic, thanking the audience. Everybody in the café clapped, especially the girl at the front of the crowd, she was jumping of pure joy. The concert had ended and the lights were back to normal. The band had sung about murderous robots, rocking the party, and the pressures of living in New York city, among other things. Y/N, Mary and Charlie stood from their tables, Charlie was stretching his legs.

“I really liked the one about the robots” He said smiling, still feeling the rhythm through his body, dancing a bit. Y/N stared at her brother.

“I can tell,” She said. “Hey do you mind if we wait a bit… I was hoping I could talk to... ” Y/N was interrupted by Charlie.

“Yeah, yeah I have to go to the restroom” He said, clearly in a hurry and made his way to the toilets doing a little dance. Mary snorted, while Y/N rolled her eyes. Mary turned to her.

“Sooo… how do we get to talk to this mystery musician?” Mary asked. Y/N shrugged with her pants on her pockets. “Let’s get closer to the stage, maybe he’ll see you.” The couple of ladies approached the stage but they couldn’t see neither Jemaine nor the guitarist. 

“How did we lose them? It’s not like this place is huge” Y/N said looking around the place. She was losing hope of meeting Jemaine again by the second. _It was stupid to think I could see him again_ , she thought. “You know what, Mary? Let’s just go” Y/N spoke somberly. Mary held her arm.

“Wait Y/N, are you serious?” Mary looked into the eyes of her friend, she wanted this for her, they’ve come all this way. Y/N saw his brother coming out of the restrooms from the other side of the café. She just nodded. They made their way to the door. Mary said they could wait a little more if she wanted. She shook her head and opened the door for her friends. When the group was standing outside the café, they heard something bump into the door behind them. Y/N turned around to see the mystery musician frowning, rubbing his nose. As if life had returned to her, Y/N opened the door with eagerness to meet him.

“Jemaine!” She said smiling. She kinda forgot how tall he was and stepped back a bit to see him more clearly. 

“Hey” Jemaine said, still rubbing his nose. “I-I was hoping to see you again, but when I came back from backstage you were gone” He said, now with his hands shoved into his pockets. 

“I was looking for you too… but I kinda… It was just bad timing, I guess.” Y/N said, stumbling a bit over her words, but her smile never faltered from her lips. Jemaine nodded, understanding the situation. He half smiled, looking into her eyes. “Oh let me introduce you to my friends,” She said motioning to the people behind her. 

“Oh of course” Jemaine said softly.

“This is my flatmate, Mary” Y/N said and she and Jemine shook hands. “And this is my brother, Charlie.” The men shook hands. 

“Hey man, I really liked the song about the robots.” Charlie complimented.

“Ah yes, it’s called Robots.” Jemaine said, accent thick in his words. Charlie just nodded. “Hey Y/N, can I introduce you to the rest of the band?” He asked. Y/N agreed with joy. The four people stepped back inside the café. Charlie and Mary took a seat near the door as they waited for their friend.

Jemaine and Y/N approached the stage, where various people were gathering around. Y/N saw the guitarist talking to the man she had seen previously with a binder. 

“Hey Bret, this is Y/N. She’s the girl I told you about” The curly haired man seemed a bit shocked.

“Oh she’s the one I thought you were bluffing about” Bret said. Jemaine shushed him.

“Shut up, Bret. Just shake her hand.” Jemaine whispered, hoping the lady next to him hadn’t heard him. Bret smiled at Y/N and they shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, Bret.” She said. Y/N turned to Jemaine. “You guys were great, I had never heard anything like that before.” Jemaine was about to speak when he was interrupted by a third man, introducing himself into the conversation. He was the one with the binder.

“Ah, I see you’ve met the band. They were great, weren’t they?” The man spoke, his voice also dripping with the same accent. 

“Yeah, they were! I was telling them how much I liked their songs. Are you part of the band as well? Y/N asked, thinking it was kind of rude of him to interrupt Jemaine, but his intentions were clearly not to hurt anybody.

“I’m Murray Hewitt, band manager. I manage the guys.” He said, extending his hand, Y/N shook it. _Lot’s of introductions today_ , she thought.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N” She said for the second time today. Murray’s expression changed into one of surprise.

“Hey, you are Jemaine’s imaginary girlfriend!” Murray said. What was he talking about? Jemaine and Bret immediately turned to shush him, saying things like she isn't nobody’s girlfriend and that she isn’t imaginary. 

“Alright, alright, guys, I’m sorry” Murray defended himself. “Hey Y/N are you keen on buying a mouse pad with these guys' faces?” 

“What?” Y/N was losing track of the conversation. Jemaine and Bret just groaned. “No thanks, I’m good.” She said. Everyone turned quiet. Jemaine had his hands in his pockets, and Bret was playing with a piece of string coming from one of the sleeves of his sweater.

“So where are you guys from?” Y/N said, trying to start conversation again.

“New Zealand.” The three of them replied in unison. _Ah that makes sense_ , Y/N thought. Jemaine asked her if they could talk more privately, being very polite of course. The girl agreed and said her goodbyes to Bret and Murray. Y/N and Jemaine sat on a table away from the small stage. Everytime they accidentally met gaze, Y/N felt that funny feeling in her stomach again and couldn’t help to smile.

“So…” Jemaine began, desperately trying to come up with something to talk about. He pushed his glasses back into place.

“So… what is it?” Y/N said, studying him. He was playing with his hands, not knowing what to do with them. “Jemaine?” She said, bringing back his attention. _Aww his shy,_ Y/N thought.

“Huh? Oh,” Jemaine cleared his throat, “Uhm… I wanted to tell you that it was nice seeing you again today. I’m happy you came” He said staring at the table, trying to avoid eye contact. Y/N smiled at his shyness. This grown man, standing almost two meters high, was being shy in front of her. She found it quite endearing. Y/N’s hand found their way to his and held them a little tight for a second before letting go of them. Jemaine looked up and met her kind eyes.

“I was happy to see you too.” Y/N said smiling. Jemaine felt different, his chest was tight, his hands were sweaty and his heart was pounding. “I was hoping to get those two dollars back.” She spoke. Now, everything Jemaine had felt during the last minute changed into panic, he didn’t have her money back, he had one dollar at the most, maybe if he searched in his pockets he would find something. Y/N’s sweet laughter filled his ears, it was like honey.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” She said between laughs. “I’m just joking. I didn’t expect you to react like that.” Y/N laughed and tried to apologize, saying he didn’t have to give her anything. Jemaine sighed in relief, and half laughed. Jemaine raised both hands in the air.

“Okay you got me there.” He said smiling. Y/N noticed there was a small gap between his front teeth, her heart melted. His green eyes, his sideburns, how shy he could be, everything she knew about him until now made her heart soar. Jemaine told her the story of how he met Bret, and how the band came to be. Y/N told him about her job as a receptionist. He told her about their friends Dave and Murray, she told him about her brother Charlie and her best friend Mary. They spoke and laughed about anything and everything, without noticing the passing of time. 

Y/N jumped when she felt someone touch her shoulder from behind. She turned to see it was Mary.

“Hey guys” She said softly. Jemaine smiled politely. “Sorry to interrupt you guys, but uhmm... ”

“It’s getting late?” Y/N asked. Mary nodded apologetically. How quickly time flies when you are having fun. Y/N sighed, and turned to the man sitting in front of her. 

“You have to go?” He asked with a half smile.

“Yeah...” Y/N replied, feeling a bit sad. Mary said to her that her and Charlie would be waiting outside. Y/N and Jemaine stood up from the table.

“I’m sorry I have to go so soon.” Y/N apologized. 

“Don’t worry about it” Jemaine said, and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Maybe we could see each other again?” He asked, his heart feeling hopeful. 

“I would love that very much” Y/N said. “How about you call me when you have your next gig, or actually, call me any time.” She said excitedly as she pulled her small notepad from her bag to write her phone number. Y/N ripped the piece of paper and handed it to him. Jemaine read it and stored it in the pocket of his shirt. Now came the awkward part, the goodbye. _Should they hug, maybe. Kiss? No that was too soon. A handshake, nope, too formal_ , both of them had similar thoughts. 

“I guess this is goodbye then.” He said, looking at her over his glasses. Y/N nodded. Slowly they stepped closer to each other. 

“Goodbye Jemaine.” Y/N said softly, almost a whisper, their faces were a bit too close. 

“Goodbye Y/N” He said back. _Oh to hell with it,_ Jemaine thought and pulled her into a quick hug. Y/N was surprised by the sudden affection, but embraced it nonetheless. Before she pulled completely away from him, she gave him a small peck on his cheek. Both of their faces were red, both of them feeling tingly inside.

“You better call me, alright?” Y/N said firmly as she walked for the door.

“I will, I promise.” He answered, smiling from ear to ear, showing his adorable teeth. Y/N waved through the glass door and with that she disappeared into the night. 

* * *

It was completely dark when Jemaine returned to his apartment. Murray had given Bret a lift, leaving him behind in the café. Jemaine left his instruments next to the couch and removed his shoes when he entered the shared bedroom. He plunged into his bed, already falling asleep, he was tired from the walk back home.

“Had a good night?” Bret asked from across the room, he had been listening to music.

“It was great.” Jemaine answered, his voice muffled by his pillow.

“Did you kiss her?” 

“No but she kissed me.”

“What?! On the mouth?”

“No...” Jemaine sighed, he was too tired for this interrogation. “She kissed me on the cheek.” Bret nodded, his friend had a good shot with this girl, he could feel it.

“I told you she was real.” Jemaine said. “I told you Y/N was real.” Now it sounded he was trying to convince himself that everything that had happened tonight was real.

“I never doubted you, man.” Bret said, trying to suppress a giggle.

“Shut up, Bret.” He said before falling asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your time <3


	3. Lost paper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murray comes through with a new gig. Bret encourages Jemaine to call his new girl friend about it.

The sun was high in the sky, a couple of hours before lunch. The heat warmed the concrete outside. Bret and Jemaine sat in Murray’s office, inside the New Zealand Consulate. Their manager had requested them to meet to discuss Thursday's gig. Murray had his binder open, ready for the accustomed roll call.

“Okay, band meeting,” Murray began. “Jemaine”

“Yes.” He answered.

“Bret.”

“Present” Said Bret.

“And Murray. Present.” Murray checked everyone on the list and read the first item on the band agenda.

“Item one: Bigger Crowd,” He said and turned his eyes to his friends sitting in front of him. “Guys, last night the crowd grew double the size!” Murray said excitedly. Jemaine scoffed lightly, he knew where this was going.

“What, six people?” Jemaine said bored.

“Yes, Jemaine! We usually have two to three. But six people came to your show last night.” Murray scolded him. His expression changed into a smile. “All thanks to your girlfriend.” Jemaine shook his head, feeling helpless.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” He said, almost sad at the thought of her. Jemaine remembered how much she laughed and how much he liked it. And how pretty her face was, and-

“But you like her?” Murray said, making Jemaine snap out of his daydream.

“Well yeah, but that doesn’t mean she's my girlfriend.” Jemaine raised his voice while Bret just sat there, shaking his head, knowing his friend didn’t want to talk about her.

“What is she then?” Asked Murray. Jemaine half-shrugged.

“Just a girl friend.” Jamaine said and crossed his arms. Murray just nodded, leaving the topic of girls for later. Bret leaned a bit on his manager’s desk.

“Uhm… Do we have any gigs, Murray?” Bret asked. _Of course we don’t. It’s almost a miracle we had one last night,_ Jemaine thought. 

“I’m just getting to that, Bret. That’s item number two.” Murray cleared his throat. “Item number two: Gig. I do have a gig for you guys.” He said smiling. Both Jemaine and Bret jumped a bit in surprise. _That’s too good to be true, there must be a catch. Like the time we drove all the way to a central park, not THE Central Park,_ Jemaine thought.

“Tell us more!” Bret said, maybe their time as serious musicians had come after all.

“Well after you two handsome fellas rocked the stage,” Murray said, raising his eyebrows on his phrase. “The owner of the cafe told me he had a friend who knew someone that owns a bar, and that they’re looking for a band that has a different vibe. What do you think, eh?”

Jemaine squinted his eyes and leaned forward. “What makes you think they want _us_ playing on the stage?” He was feeling skeptical about all of this.

“Well, that’s easy! I contacted them and told them all about you.” Murray said excited, him being as optimistic as always. “They do want you!”

“And when are we playing?” Bret asked. Murray looked down at his binder.

“They said next week, Friday.” Murray said. Bret nodded in agreement, and turned to his friend sitting next to him. Bret motioned for Jemaine to come closer.

“What do you think?” Bret whispered. Jemaine shrugged.

“Seems kind of sketchy to me.” Jemaine mumbled. The pair of friends shared a couple of whispers before Bret turned to Murray.

“Alright, we’ll do it.” 

* * *

Back in their apartment, while the tv was on, Bret was working on his secret project, gluing fake hair to his helmet. Jemaine sat uneasily on the couch, his head was resting on his hand and his leg bounced up and down anxiously. He wasn’t paying attention to what was on tv, nor the noise of the cars coming from the busy street outside, neither Bret’s humming as he worked on his project. He wasn’t sure if he should call her, he wasn’t completely sure about the gig, but she did say to call her anytime. Bret turned to see his friend and realized he was spiraling. 

“Hey man, you ok?” Bret asked. Jemaine didn’t respond, his leg kept bouncing and he was starting to bite his nails. “Jemaine?” Bret asked a little louder this time.

“Huh?” was all Jemaine said. Bret stood up from the table and took a seat next to his friend. 

“Are you feeling alright, mate?” Bret asked him, studying him. Jemaine sighed.

“I’m just feeling a bit… nervous.” Jemaine mumbled.

“Nervous? Why? Is it about Y/N?” Bret did see him talking to her very eagerly last night, it confused him why his friend was losing confidence all of a sudden.

“Yes, it’s about her… I don’t know if I should call her, what if she doesn’t want to hear about me anymore?” Jemaine expressed his worries. Bret was taken aback.

“Did she say anything about not calling her?” Bret asked.

“No, in fact, she said to call her any time” Jemaine said. Bret was even more baffled now. It was usually him the one who had no clue about what girls wanted, but right now he was very sure that Y/N was into Jemaine. Maybe, all his friend needed was a boost of confidence, and he would gather the courage to tell her about their gig on friday. Bret took a deep breath and stood up, facing his friend

“Jemaine, you are a good looking fella.” Bret started. Jemaine looked at Bret standing in front of him, with no idea of what was about to happen. 

“That’s a bit odd, but, thanks. ” Jemaine mumbled.

“You are a great bass player.” Bret continued his compliments, Jemaine half smiled.

“You come up with good lyrics, and you make a good cereal.” Bret said. Jemaine nodded, his leg was no longer shaking.

“What I’m trying to say, Jemaine, is that you are a great dude overall, and there’s no reason why Y/N wouldn’t want to go out with you.” Bret spoke from the heart. Jemaine stood up, feeling a bit better about himself.

“Yeah, I’m not too bad, I guess.” He said.

“You are great!” Bret cheered for his friend. 

“Yeah, I kinda am.” Jemaine said, accepting his compliments.

“Now, you are gonna call Y/N and tell her about the gig!” Bret encouraged him.

“Yes I am!” Jemaine almost shouted.

“Do it!” Bret said, happy that his words had worked.

“Ah, yes...” Jemaine said and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, he found nothing, then he went for the pockets on his shirt, again, no paper. Jemaine froze. _Oh no_.

“What’s wrong?” Bret asked. Jemaine didn’t answer, instead he turned to look between the cushions of the couch. Bret began to do the same. They searched in between the cushions, under the couch, in the pantry, inside Jemaines’s bass case. Bret searched inside the fridge for some reason. Jemaine looked under the bed, on the bed, between the pages of their magazines, but the paper that Y/N had given him was nowhere to be found. The sun had gone down, it was around eight pm, and the couple laid surrendered on the floor, the whole apartment had been turned upside down and yet, they couldn’t find the lost paper.

“I can’t believe I lost it.” Jemaine said, defeated. Bret reached to his left and patted Jemaine’s shoulder.

“Did you give her your number?” Bret asked, hoping he had and Y/N would call him first. Jemaine shook his head. 

“Well… at least she will remember you by your good looks, you wore a nice shirt last night.” Bret said. _Nice shirt?_ , Jemaine thought. _What did I wear last night?..._ Jemaine’s eyes widened and he hurried to stand up.

“I know where it is!” He said as he hurried to the bathroom. Bret began to stand up. Jemaine searched in the laundry bin for a white shirt that had a nice print on it. When he found it, Jemaine reached for the front pocket and his heart soared when he felt the piece of paper. 

“Bret, I found it!” He was smiling when he walked out of the bathroom. Bret looked around the messy apartment.

“It was in your shirt?” Bret asked, his tone no longer enthusiastic. Jemaine nodded, not even looking up to see his friend, he was smiling as he read the numbers on the piece of paper, trying to memorize them in case he lost it again. Bret rolled his eyes and let himself fall on the couch. It was going to take forever to get the apartment back to normal.

* * *

It was completely dark outside, their flat was halfway fixed up, and Bret and Jemaine laid in their own beds, ready for good night sleep. Jemaine had decided to call Y/N tomorrow, he didn’t want to seem too desperate, and besides, he had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the flat with Bret. Jemaine turned to see Bret, he could tell he wasn’t asleep yet. 

“Hey Bret.” Jemaine whispered. Bret sighed.

“What is it?” Bret replied. 

“Sorry for turning the place upside down.” He said, asking for forgiveness. Bret made a face, telling him not to worry about it.

“And… thank you for the compliments.” Jemaine mumbled. Bret suppressed a laugh.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Bret said, wanting to hear him say thank you again. 

“I said thank you for the compliments, good night!” Jemaine said quickly and turned his back to him. Bret just smiled to himself. 

“Good night mate.” Bret said before both of them drifted into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this too cheesy? anyway as always, Thank you for your time <3


	4. How about lunch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bret and Jemaine get lunch with their new friend.

Birds chirped, cars honked and people walked on the sidewalks like every day, it was warm outside but a breeze refreshed any pedestrian who dared to venture out on the streets of New York city. Bret and Jemaine had just finished eating their breakfast, their apartment was finally back to normal, but they had received a noise complaint from their landlord. Jemaine looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, repeating the words Bret had said the day before, giving himself one final confidence boost before calling the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about. He took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He sat on the couch and picked up the landline phone. Jemaine read the numbers on the piece of paper he held in his hands and dialed the number. He had grown attached to the numbers scribbled onto the paper, more specifically, Jemaine had grown attached to her handwriting, falling in love with the little imperfections and the curves of the nines, sixes, and twos; a smile appeared on his face every time he looked at the happy face Y/N had drawn next to her number. The phone beeped as he held it to his ear. Jemaine felt his hands sweaty again as seconds passed. _I’ve got this, stay cool_ , he thought. Usually talking to girls didn’t make him feel this nervous, but then again, other girls didn’t usually make him all tingly and fluffy inside. The beeping stopped.

“Hello?” Jemaine heard Y/N’s voice through the phone, a smile instantly forming on his face. 

“Hey, Y/N. It’s Jemaine.” He said, feeling a bit more calm.

“Oh! Hi Jemaine!” Y/N answered. From the other side of Manhattan, Y/N sat in front of her desk, it had been a slow morning at work, so she knew she had time for Jemaine’s call. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to call me.” She teased.

“Well, we had a situation yesterday but everything’s all right now.” Jemaine said, taking a look at the tidy apartment. Y/N nodded, understanding that he had been busy, even though she knew he couldn’t see her.

“Uhm… I called you to tell you about a new gig we have.” Jemaine spoke into the phone.

“That’s great! When is it?” Y/N asked, already getting excited from just imagining seeing him again. 

“Next week, on friday.” He said. Y/N asked him to hold a second to check her schedule. Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling so joyful anymore.

“Jemaine, I have to work late next friday… I don’t know if i’ll be able to show up.” She said.

“Oh thats-that’s alright.” Jemaine said, his tone had changed. A few seconds of silence passed, which felt like an eternity for both of them. “Maybe we can see each other some other time?” He suggested. 

“Wanna hang out today? I get to leave early.” Y/N spoke quickly, she didn’t even stop herself to check if she had other plans. 

“Yeah, that sounds great!” Jemaine said, life returning to his face. “How about we go out for lunch?”

“I would love that.” Y/N said smiling. They agreed on a time and place, a noodle restaurant was on what they settled. They said their goodbyes and Jemaine hung up the phone. Even though he wasn’t sure if he was going to see Y/N on friday, he definitely felt good about seeing her today. He turned to Bret, who had been reading an animal magazine, sitting on the armchair next to the sofa.

“Hey Bret, do you want chinese for lunch?”

* * *

It was a small and cozy chinese food restaurant, they had been there a couple of times before, they had even eaten there with Murray. Bret and Jemaine sat on their usual table, their backs to the windows behind them. They were waiting for Y/N to arrive.

“Hey man, do you want me to be your wingman?” Bret asked as he played with the chopsticks. Jemaine made a face.

“No need Bret, I think I can handle it.” Jemaine said, straightening his back, a sly smile appearing on his lips. Bret chuckled. 

“Allright mister ladies man.” Bret said. Through the glass window, Bret saw a familiar face approaching the restaurant. 

“She’s here.” Bret whispered. When Jemaine raised his gaze and saw Y/N reaching for the door. His hands got sweaty and his stomach felt funny again. Just in time, before Y/N entered the restaurant, he turned to Bret.

“Actually, I take it back, you can be my wingman.” Jemaine whispered. Bret nodded. “Just don’t exaggerate.” Bret nodded again, mouthing an ‘OK’. The restaurant door opened and Y/N stepped inside, she had never been there before, so she had a moment to take in her surroundings before turning to meet her new friends. As soon as she turned to them, Jemaine rose from his seat, stumbling with the chair.

“Hey guys!” Y/N greeted them smiling. She wasn’t expecting to meet with Bret as well, but it was a welcomed surprise to her. Now that she thought about it, her and Jemaine never specified if it was a date _date_ , or just lunch, maybe this was an in between with Bret sprinkled in.

“Hi Y/N.” Bret said from his seat. She waved at him.

“Hi.” Jemaine greeted, his voice almost soft. _Wow, am I really that out of breath?_ He thought. Y/N smiled. Jemaine walked over to her, he wasn’t really sure what to do but he followed his instincts anyway. He stood very close to her, since there wasn’t much space. 

“It’s great to see you again.” He said and pushed his glasses back up. He felt as if his heart had just been launched skyward from a slingshot when he saw Y/N bite her lips to stop herself from smiling too much.

“It really is.” Y/N said, he was even more handsome than she remembered, the sideburns were really working for her. Y/N paid attention to the shirt he was wearing, it was a light blue button down shirt with little flowers embroidered above the shirt pockets. _Cute,_ she thought

“Oh, please take a seat.” Jemaine said as he pulled out the chair next to Bret. When everyone was sitting they decided to look at the menus and each ordered their preferred dish. When Y/N had entered, Jemaine noticed she looked different from the last time he saw her. That Thursday night her hair was down and her make up was much more fun. Today, her hair was pinned up, she wore plaid pants and a smart casual blouse.

“So… Y/N, what do you do at your job?” Bret asked. Jemaine, who had been struggling to grab his noodles with the chopsticks, paid attention to Y/N’s answer. 

“Well ummm… I welcome the people that visit the building, I answer their questions. I transfer calls. I file documents. It’s not very interesting really.” She said, looking down at her plate and tucking a loose hair behind her ear. 

“I think being a receptionist is great. You have to deal with a lot of people every day and still be professional, even when they aren’t very nice.” Jemaine said, trying to sound smart but he was sincere nonetheless. Y/N looked up at him, surprised he understood her daily struggles, even if it was just a small portion of them. She shot a smile at him. Jemaine half smiled in return. The conversation went on as each enjoyed their meal. Y/N told them about her flatmate Mary, what she did for work and how they met. Bret told a story of how he had to create a gang to protect himself from any possible threats after he dissed every rapper he knew about. 

“And how did you meet your manager?” Y/N asked.

“We lost our passports when we arrived here.” Jemaine answered, who had given up on eating with chopsticks and used a spoon instead. 

“Murray works in the New Zealand consulate so he’s in charge of immigration and stuff like that.” Bret continued.

“So he managed to get you new passports and you hired him as your manager?” Y/N asked, this Murray fella did seem out of the ordinary the night she had met him.

“Ehh, it didn't go that smoothly, he just somehow incorporated himself into the band.” Jemaine said, shrugging. 

“But did you get your passports?” Y/N asked, now worried for their situation. Bret and Jemaine shared a look and whispered the same question to each other. When they looked back at Y/N, they silently shook their heads. Y/N’s eyes widened, she made a mental note to check with her brother if anything could be done about their papers. 

When everyone had finished, Jemaine had offered to pay for Y/N’s dish, since he had money from their last gig and she thankfully accepted. The three of them walked to a park nearby to pass the time, Bret had come up with that idea.

The sun was no longer beaming down as hard and the leaves on the trees swayed slowly. They would occasionally hear a dog bark and joggers would pass past them. As the group walked on the paved trail, Bret crouched down saying he needed to tie his shoes, telling them to keep walking and that he would catch up in a second. Jemaine signaled him a thumbs up behind Y/N’s back. Now that the two of them walked alone, he searched his brain for something to say. _Stay cool, stay cool,_ he thought.

“Uhmm, Y/N…” Jemaine began, his mouth feeling dry all of sudden.

“Yeah?” She said, looking up to him. Jemaine dried his hands on his pants and then shoved them in his pockets.

“I really like your hair, it’s pretty.” He said, immediately feeling like a little kid, knowing he usually had better game. Y/N smiled and thanked him.

“I like your sideburns.” She confessed, making Jemaine feel as if all the air inside his lungs had been knocked out. Her words definitely took him by surprise, girls usually didn’t compliment his appearance. He thanked her, his words coming out almost breathlessly. _Should I ask her if I can hold her hand? No, that's too corny and too soon,_ he debated inside his head.

 _Should I ask him if today was a date? Well, if it had been a date then Bret wouldn’t have come_ , Y/N thought.

“Hey, I wanted to-”

“Uhm, is it ok if-”

Jemaine and Y/N interrupted each other. Both chuckled awkwardly, and they had stopped walking. Y/N brushed her hair behind her ear and looked at him, a kind smile pulling at her lips as always.

“You go first.” She said, softly. Jemaine’s heart was beating so fast, he swore Y/N could hear it. He smiled and sighed. Y/N felt a tiny bit lightheaded when she saw him smile, showing the small tooth gap between his front teeth. 

“Is it cool with you if we hold-” Jemaine was interrupted again, but this time it was by a loud and squeaky voice that shouted his name. His smile disappeared from his face and was replaced by a poker face and his distinct eyebrow raise. He closed his eyes and sighed, bracing himself for what was to come. Bret had caught up to them now. 

“Hey guys! What a coincidence!” Exclaimed a girl with curly hair and wide blue eyes approaching them. 

“Hey Mel.” Jemaine and Bret greeted in unison, but with very little excitement. Y/N studied her, she wore a shirt and long skirt, and carried a backpack with her, she seemed very familiar. 

“Hi guys, what have you been up to?” The girl asked the guys standing next to Y/N. She felt as if she was ignoring her. Jemaine just shrugged, paying more attention to his surroundings than the girl who had run into them,

“Not much really, we had lunch with Y/N and then decided to go for a walk together.” Bret said calmly. 

“Who’s Y/N.” Mel asked. _Yep, she’s completely ignoring me,_ she thought.

“I’m Y/N.” She said with a half smile and her hand raised up. 

“Ohh, Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mel.” Mel spoke sweetly, acting as if Y/N had just appeared out of thin air, even though she was standing very close to Jemaine. Y/N shook her hand out of respect. 

“Are you a fan of the band?” Mel questioned. Y/N was taken aback a bit, sure, she was a fan, but looked at her friends for reassurance. The guys just shrugged a bit.

“Yeah, I-I am.” Y/N stuttered a bit, feeling intimidated by Mel’s piercing gaze. 

“Really? I’ve never seen you at their concerts before.” Mel said, her voice still sweet despite her real intentions.

“Oh well, I’ve been only to one… so far.” Y/N replied, stepping backwards. She softly bumped into Jemaine, who instinctively placed his hand on her shoulder. It was as if lightning had struck when she felt his protective grasp.

"Oh, I don't think that is what a real fan does. A real fan goes to every concert." Mel said raising her eyebrows and her tone turning slightly menacingly. 

“Well I’m...” Y/N had nothing to defend herself with, and Mel was clearly on the offensive. Before she made a fool of herself, Jemaine spoke.

“Hey Mel, we really have to go now.” He said in a monotone voice. “I think Dough is waiting for you over there.” With his other had he motioned to a man standing in the distance. 

“Hi Dough.” The boys said together. The man in the distance waved.

“Yeah, we have to go but it was nice to see you.” Bret spoke quickly. The guys were already turning their backs, dragging Y/N with them.

“Alright guys, see you soon!” Mel said, weaving at them.

“Bye.” They said without looking back, already walking away, leaving Mel behind. Bret and Jemaine picked up the pace and Y/N copied them. 

“Why are we almost running away?” She said as they walked out of the park.

“Mel’s our fan. She usually stalks us so we avoid her.” Bret explained. Jemaine kept looking behind his shoulder to make sure Mel wasn’t following them. He never removed his hand from Y/N’s shoulder. Y/N just accepted what Bret said without questioning it. If that girl stalked her friends, she was definitely going to see her a lot more. 

It was around 5 pm when they got to Y/N’s building apartment. Jemaine had offered to walk her back home, and of course, they got to know a bit more about each other, making small talk along the way.

“I was lovely seeing you today, guys.” Y/N said, standing next to the staircase that led to the entrance of the building. “We should do this more often.” She said, her eyes drawn to Jemaine.

“Yeah, we should but with less running into Mel.” Bret joked. Jemaine and Y/N laughed lightly. Y/N he said goodbye to Bret and gave him a light hug. Then she turned to Jemaine. “What did you want to tell me earlier?” She asked him. Jemaine stood in front of her, a small small playing at his lips, he just couldn’t help it when he looked at her. He made a face and waved a hand in front of him.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jemaine said.

“Tell me.” Y/N spoke softly and reached a for his arm. His heart jumped at the touch. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to hold hands. It's stupid, I know...” He mumbled, staring at his feet, which suddenly became much more interesting. Y/N felt weak in the knees, and her smile grew wider. Jemaine raised his gaze just a bit, high enough to see her above his glasses. He felt Y/N pulling at his arm, he allowed himself to be guided by her. Her hand slid along his arm and reached his hand. Y/N stopped for a second, doubting herself, feeling her heart on her throat. She finally interlocked her hand with his, which was a lot bigger in comparison, yet, it fitted perfectly. If he could freeze a moment in time to treasure forever, it would be this one. No one had been so tender with him in such a small gesture.

“We definitely can.” Y/N said. They shared a smile. She said goodbye to him with a tight hug. He was a lot more taller than her so his back arched over her a bit. Before she completely let go of him, she pressed a kiss on his cheek, like she had done last time. 

“See you on friday?” Jemaine asked, as Y/N walked up the stairs. She stopped to look at him. 

“I’ll do my best to be there.” Y/N said and waved to both of them, finally entered the building and closed the door behind her. The guys took a bus back to their apartment. Jemaine held his hand to his cheek during the whole commute.

* * *

“Look who’s finally home.” Mary said from the kitchen, she was grabbing a quick snack for herself. Y/N let herself drop on the couch, she had done a lot of walking today. 

“It’s not even that late!” She defended herself. Mary took a seat next to her and turned down the volume of the TV.

“So, what happened?” Mary questioned.

“With what?” Y/N said as she removed her shoes.

“I knew you were out with the mystery musician, you have it written all over your face.” Mary said and took a bit from her snack. A smile appeared on Y/N’s face. She turned to face her friend and proceeded to tell her everything that had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which perspective do you like better, him or hers?  
> Tell me if you got the reference. Clue: it is four specific words from one of their songs.  
> Anyways, thank you for reading :)


End file.
